Humane Society official says Bevin should get out of Ky. Senate race after speaking at pro-cockfighting rally

The president of the national Humane Society Legislative Fund said Thursday Louisville businessman Matt Bevin should withdraw from the 2014 U.S. Senate race after discovering web ads that appear to undermine Bevin’s claims that he didn’t know he had spoken at an event for cockfighting.

Bevin, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell in the May 20 primary, told the News Journal in Corbin that he was unaware of the purpose of the event on Saturday, March 29 which was closed to the public and the media. Bevin said he was under the impression that it was a “state’s rights” rally. But the organizers of the event told the News Journal that there was never any “ambiguity” about the focus of the event.

Michael Markarian, chief program and policy officer of the Humane Society of the United States and President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, posted to his blog Thursday web ads that had been floating around promoting that event that specifically say “Legalize Liberty, Legalize Cockfighting”.

See the ads below:

Currently, cockfighting—which pits two birds against each other to fight to the death while spectators bet on the birds—is illegal at the state and national levels.

Since the event, the Bevin campaign has told other news outlets that Bevin believes the “sport” is a “state’s rights issue”.

The Bevin campaign did not respond to a request for a comment on Bevin’s attendance at the event or Mr. Markarian’s remarks that the McConnell opponent should withdraw from the race.

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